Tennessee Falls to No. 17 in Coaches Poll After Loss at South Carolina

Tennessee dropped six spots to No. 17 in the US LBM Coaches Poll on Sunday, a direct consequence of Saturday's 27-24 road loss at South Carolina. The Associated Press Top 25 had not yet been updated when the ranking was reported. A week earlier the Volunteers stood at No. 11 in both major polls, lifted by a 26-10 home win over Alabama.

The loss leaves Tennessee at 6-2 overall and 3-2 in SEC play as it heads into an open week. The stretch run is now clearly defined, beginning at home against Kentucky on Nov. 7. The Vols then travel to Texas A&M on Nov. 14, return home to face LSU on Nov. 21, and close the regular season at Vanderbilt on Nov. 28.

Tennessee was hardly alone in sliding. Several ranked teams also lost on Saturday, including BYU at UCF, Ole Miss at Texas, Texas Tech at Cincinnati, Houston at Utah, Iowa at Minnesota and USC at Wisconsin. That wider churn softened the fall somewhat, but it did not change the central fact that the Vols gave back the ground they had gained against Alabama.

The ranking history underscores how volatile the season has been. Tennessee opened at No. 18 in the Coaches Poll and No. 20 in the AP poll, climbed after early wins over Furman, Georgia Tech and Kennesaw State, and had worked its way back to No. 11 before the trip to South Carolina. With four conference games left, the open week gives the Vols time to regroup before a November schedule that will decide where they ultimately finish.